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1st yr of B600 ! |
After the big fiasco of ‘Aseem’, I was disappointed. Time & money had gone waste. Also, the hopes which had rose collapsed. Again, I had to use the manual trolley-like wheelchair which used to be pushed by somebody as I don’t have much strength in my bones to push wheelchair-wheels myself.
Once I had been to Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital [Pune] for some tests. That time, I was waiting in the queue with my dad & mom. There in the parking lot, mom saw a person with disability using a battery-operated wheelchair with ease. Mom just rushed to him & asked, “where did he buy it from?”. He answered that his daughter had sent it from Japan, as that company doesn’t export it to India. Before we could get any more information about it from him, I was called in for the test & we couldn’t ask him to wait for some time for us till we come back as my test was going to take lot of time. Also, couldn’t take his contact no. due to the whole big queue waiting for the test behind us. So, we couldn’t even contact him again.
Later, once, I had been sitting waiting in our SUV, near Chitale-bandhu sweets’ shop [Vishraambaag Waadaa area, Pune] while dad & mom had gone in nearby shops for some shopping. I had been watching the traffic passing by & reading a book in between. Suddenly I saw a person with disability but his wheelchair was looking so nice like a car’s front seat! He was going so swiftly making his way like skilled-driver of car through all the mad evening rushing traffic! [Everybody knows how bad-mannered traffic of Pune is!] I was stunned! Before I could tell our driver-uncle to request & stop that person to talk with me or mom-dad or even before driver-uncle could cross the road & stop him, he just crossed the roads [actually, it was a cross-road or ‘chowk’]. When dad & mom came back, I excitedly told them about the excellent wheelchair I saw. That time, we realized that if search properly, we can get a good battery-operated wheelchair & cleared the misbelief that there doesn’t seem a chance of getting good battery-operated wheelchair in India or that being made abroad but not imported in India. Next day, I returned home. Soon, Dad told me to search on internet about availability of battery-operated wheelchair. I opened ‘Google’, searched ‘pages from whole web’ & ‘pages from India’. I don’t remember right now all other names but only few them were having branches in India & so, exporting the wheelchairs to India but, the user had to go to the main office, which would be generally located abroad. That was again an obstacle that time for me as going abroad was bit problematic, according to the situations. I kept on searching & my search got a successful stop at the name- ‘Otto Bock [Germany]’ as they have their service-offices throughout all continents & at Mumbai & various parts of India! I was glad that this might be the answer I was finding but curious to know about availability & costs of wheelchairs they made. They had given many details on their website about their services- various types of wheelchairs, artificial limbs, service-fabrications, etc. They had put up details of contacting them. I noted down the address of their service-office- Otto Bock Service-Office, Near R.K. Studio, Opposite Saint Gregorious Chapel, Chembur [Mumbai].
Dad was soon going for the monthly purchase of raw materials for our spices factory. That time he decided to go to the Otto Bock’s service office. I was eagerly waiting for that day when he would gather necessary information. Dad went to the service-office where he met Miss Rochelle Lobo [The Occupational Therapist, Bionic Mobility]. ‘Bionic mobility’ means mobility gained by use of artificial limbs/machineries/wheelchairs. [She was at first got angry with my dad as he had reached office late due to some work at raw-materials market but later cooled down]. Dad discussed with her my problem & need of the good battery-operated wheelchair. She showed him a sample of the standard manual model of wheelchair. Then she told him to bring me once to their office, so that she could take the measurements, note-downs of necessary modifications, photos + video-clips of my current physical situation & to show & discuss about it via Internet with the engineers at the head-office of Otto Bock in Germany. This would have facilitated the process of getting the perfection in the wheelchair. So, we fixed a day to meet & I eagerly kept calculating the days.
But things always take some strange turns, even when they are actually possible easily. Suddenly, we had to postpone it since my mom was going to appear for MS CIT exam of computer, which was declared to take place on just the day we had fixed our meeting. I felt disappointed but mom had studied hard for it, whenever possible during daily chores at home, so felt to wait for few more days. After all, I had waited for so long years & now 2-3 days wouldn’t have mattered. But, of course, patience is the key! We tried to get next appointment with her but she was going outstation for few days & so gave an appointment at day after almost 15 days. Again, she was bit angry that we cancelled suddenly but asked dad to turn up on time! We were going to Mumbai just day before our meeting with Miss Rochelle Lobo, but came to know that our driver who generally comes along was unable to come that day because his niece was getting married same day. We decided to call up our other driver who comes whenever there is need of extra driver than those usually. On the day we were leaving he was putting up the bags on the carrier so that my folding manual trolley-like wheelchair & suddenly his spine got sprained & he felt too much pains. Dad took him to a doctor who advised the driver to rest & not drive for few days. So, we postponed going that day too. & took another appointment. Again we had to tell Miss Lobo that we had to cancel coming this time too.
Finally, when our driver came back on duty, we left for Mumbai just before the day we were going to meet, so that we could reach on time. We stayed at ‘Hotel Days Inn’ [now it’s known as ‘Celebrations’] at Washi [Mumbai]. In the morning, I woke up very early & got ready. But we got bit late due to reach due to the traffic jam! We had taken ‘Aseem’ with us along with my folding trolley-like manual wheelchair which we take along during long journeys. After arriving at Otto Bock service office, I shifted Into ‘Aseem’ which was working little bit due to latest repairing & because we wanted to give the measurements similar to it, especially sitting positions. I climbed up the ramp up to the entrance, with my dad pushing ‘Aseem’ from behind as it was getting hard to climb the ramp. There we met Miss Rochelle Lobo & other technician Mr. Krishnakant. We discussed for long time- about my needs & daily routine where the wheelchair would prove a big help to me, e.g. using it for going anywhere indoors 7 outdoors, shifting to bed using increasing + decreasing level of height of the sitting position, get back-position reclining & fully flat also, the cushioning of seat with flat surface [that would facilitate shifting to & fro bed]. She made some video-clips & clicked some photographs of me in various positions like how much I could sit [in those days], how I drove the ‘Aseem’, etc. which she was going to send via Internet to the engineers as that prove helpful to them in modifying the original model of B600.[This is part of their procedure, so that user doesn’t need to go to Germany]. She suggested that she will discuss these matters with the technicians & engineers at Germany about the necessary modifications & concluded that “we modify our ready but different types of wheelchairs which can be used for different purposes. We will soon inform you soon about in week what the engineers say about your problem. We suggest our wheelchair-model B600 for you, as right now it seems suitable for you. Engineers will modify it according to your needs & make it ready to use. It’s very costly, but we assure you of high-quality performance, maintenance-servicing after every 6 months or as necessary, proper documentations, 1year to 5 years warranty. Once you decide to place the order if the engineers find no problems in modifications, you need to pay half the amount of estimated price or invoice as an advance. We will deliver it as soon as possible within 3 weeks if it didn’t need modifications [custom fabrication] & as it is going to be modified 2 to 2 & 1/2 months”. She showed a video-clip of the various models of wheelchairs manufactured at ‘Otto Bock’- one wheelchair was standard manual wheelchair, other was B600 itself [unmodified], other was a marvel as it had straps to put up & with use of few buttons, its seating position converted into standing position, so that user will get a feel of walking though it would run on its wheels by a joystick-like device at hands! There were other types of wheelchair-models too. See what technology & science can do- make an ‘impossible” as a “possible”!
We came back home, eagerly waiting for the positive call from Miss Lobo. We soon were called by Miss Lobo that engineers said after the discussion that ‘they will be surely & successfully make the modifications!’ She called dad to come to Mumbai to place an order by paying the advance, if we had made up the decision. In the week in between we got her call, we had been apprehensive & worried too that how to manage the huge payment & whether we will get the perfect solution in return of such huge payment. It was a feeling like aiming with an arrow in dark. I had asked dad to think more deeply before paying as we had learnt one big lesson recently. Still, dad “let’s take a risk, also every time you don’t get a fiasco, let’s hope for the best, this time we are placing the order with a good company, don’t keep worrying, I don’t think there will be any problem, I want you to get the best, after all whom do I have to spend for?”. Soon dad made the payment by managing the finances very well. I kept the follow-up going on how he managed the finances, as I didn’t want any other family-member to get burdened, though they might have become ready to take the part in payment. I’m happy now that dad didn’t take any financial help from others. He himself went twice to Mumbai, just to clarify some doubts from Miss Lobo. Engineers Okayed that too. Now, we had placed an order of B600 with modifications in January 2008, after we came back from Goa where we all family-members had been for vacation on year-end.
I had been eager & curious, kept calculating the days! This time I didn’t tell my friends at first about it as once I had learnt a lesson- “don’t keep telling till you are not sure of the results of whatever you do!” Days were going on, various things happening continuously in life- house was being coloured up & its maintenance going on, cousin’s marriage in February, elder sister visiting home after 1& ½ years as she had been abroad, a dearest friend who had been very far had come so near, etc. ! Mind was flying towards B600 & Germany. Finally, we called up Miss Rochelle Lobo in between just to check out what was happening on the other end. Soon we came to know that “B600 is ready & so, sent to airport at Frankfurt but customs at Frankfurt had been on Easter-holidays. Once they clear it, it’ll soon reach Mumbai airport where Miss Lobo would be collecting it, then she would check it once again all over, get its battery fully charged making it ready to use & take home! Then she was going to call me to learn using B600 once for some time & my B600 would be with me forever!” Finally B600 arrived at Mumbai & Miss Lobo called up- “everything is OK with B600 ! Please come over soon to take it home”. My joy & curiosity knew no bounds!
We left for Mumbai next day in noon, but before going I had to tell a friend who planned our get-together of us all 9 friends as usual that I won’t be there, so please if possible postpone or carry on, no problem. She was curious- “why? Where are you going? Any problem? When will you be back? We won’t do a get-together without you, we never do it. You know well that we just simply can’t imagine getting together without you”. So, I told her that I her everything & told that “please don’t tell this surprise to others, I’ll tell it all myself”. I reached Mumbai at night & stayed at ‘Hotel Days Inn (Celebrations)’.
Next morning of (21st April 2008, Monday) I got up very early & got ready before 9:30am, ready to go to ‘Otto Bock’ service-office though we had been told to reach upto 10:30am approximately. That morning mom heard about my horoscope in a TV-show that [before I woke up]- “today you’ll get something that will give you immense satisfaction & a feeling that all your efforts were properly vested since many years. Today red colour & figure ‘9’ is good for you”. I just laughed it off that time. We left but on the way, we stopped for breakfast but my mind was not present there, it had already reached ‘Otto Bock service office’ already! We reached service-office. Just the moment I entered seating in my folding trolley-like wheelchair with Dad pushing it up the entrance-ramp of service-office. [It’s almost like a stretcher being pushed by somebody]. At the same moment, Miss Lobo came out from the lift with beautiful black & green B600 with her! Dad said “This must be your modified B600, I’m sure!” I asked “Sure?” Miss Lobo smiled & said “Hi! Please come in”. We just went into a big room where Miss Lobo had taken that wheelchair. She said, “Here it is! Your B600 [B six hundred]! Not only a wheelchair but your little car you may say!” I just kept smiling & gazing at it! It was such a nice sturdy wheelchair! She requested my dad to shift me into it & so I very eagerly & easily shifted in it from my manual trolley-like wheelchair as B600 has a facility to increase/decrease the height of seating position. We matched the seating positions of both & I shifted in B600. A good supportive Velcro belt was easy to fix & fasten .The joystick-panel which was specially put up in a comfortable position for me & easy to fix in other positions if necessary. Same about the arm-rests. Seat was modified as per my need- 2 parts with protective footrest in front & the cushioning was flat i.e. without bumpy surface like those of cars as was in original B600. B600 has all types of lights too- headlights, parking light, indicators! Miss Lobo taught me all the functions on the joystick-panel & how B600 works. One of the best functions of B600 is increasing/decreasing the height of seating position. In words of Miss Lobo, “increasing will be giving you a feeling of flying!” [In my words of that time, ‘I will be on the top of Mount Everest then!’] Then she said, “hey come with me, we will go for a nice walk”.B600 has both modes- manual & battery-operated, which can be activated very easily. Once charged for 2-3 hours, B600 works well for next 10-15 days or more! Even dad & mom were curiously watching B600 & its functions.
Miss Lobo taught me to go through doors. Then she told me to follow her up & down on a big ramp surrounding the 3-storey office-building. I was bit worried but kept on driving the B600. Then she told that “now we will go outdoors, on the road in between the building & the Saint Gregorius chapel. But before that show me how you will touch the leaves of the tall plant in the pot in the verandah on the way & bring a leaf of the tree across the lane to the chapel. Let me see how efficiently you drive B600. I won’t prompt you the functions now to accomplish the task”. I took up the challenge, went towards the potted plant & increased the height of seating position & touched its leaf. Then climbed down the ramp near the main door very easily .That time, I remembered how hard it was for ‘Aseem’ to climb up & down the same ramp when I had came last time & dad had to help by pushing it though it was also battery-operated. Miss Lobo suddenly said “hey stop a second!” while I was climbing down the ramp. I halted & then realized that B600 can stop firmly & easily by letting the grip off on the joystick, even on the steep slopes or high-climbs! Not a single push by mistake or with intention can budge it from its place on straight leveled way or on slopes, making it very safe for me. Miss Lobo smiled & remarked “this is what I wanted to show it to you!” Miss Lobo, Mom, Dad & our driver-uncle were coming along too. Mom, without making me aware, made a small video-clip & clicked a photo as well when she saw me driving B600 properly, to save the moment. I proceeded to drive on the road outside the gates. Suddenly a Maruti car came from behind & went by my side. I was bit confused but the drove B600 properly & gave way to the car to go out of the gates first, so that I would cross the road & go towards the tree. I took a leaf of the tree in hands. I had completed my task & proved my efficiency at the moment that I can drive B600 very well & improve myself by practice. While I was driving B600 in the lane in front o Chapel, I noticed many primary-school kids wearing cute yellow uniform were running & playing on the huge ground beyond a wire-fence happily, laughing, talking to each other. One moment I felt I’m also a free bird like them! Some of them curiously stopped & watched my B600 by coming near the fence.
Next moment, I remembered it had been 12pm by then & in Satara, one of my close friend who was actually from Nanded was going to get married at the same time same day. Her life was going to change by marriage & mine by B600. I wished in mind that let’s hope she gets good life ahead at least now as she had faced so many problems till then. I had talked to her before I travelled to Mumbai while she was on the way to Satara. I went in the office again, easily climbing up the entrance-ramp. Miss Lobo suggested me to come along with her to upper floor to meet the senior officers & her colleagues, to show that B600’s modifications have been absolutely perfect & suitable for me. She said, “come with me, we will go by lift; uncle, will you & aunty please come up till then by the stairs? Or shall I send the lift down for you?” Dad & mom opted to come by stairs as they wanted to see me using the lift by myself, after I entered the lift under guidance of Miss Lobo. She taught me how to enter the lift using a wheelchair myself & also how to come out of it. Till we reached the upper floor dad & mom had already reached when I saw the door of the lift open & before I got out f the lift. We went into a big hall with glass-doors & lot of cubicles, so I had to be careful that B600 doesn’t harm them at all by mistake. All of them had been glad to meet me & see me happy as they felt that their hard-work had been successful. They told that Otto bock had never modified/fabricated any of their B600 & so, they were doubtful initially that they’ll be successful in giving me perfection in B600, but they passed this ‘test’ with distinction! Miss Lobo introduced me to her colleagues- one was head of the finance-department of the Mumbai service-office, one who managed all the documentations, etc. There I was asked to wait till Dad was completing the remaining payment.
A cousin brother who was working in a nearby area & he wanted to see B600, so he asked me on phone the address of the service-office. So, we were then waiting for him in the waiting room till he came!
Till then, I was observing the surroundings. One person who got his artificial foot done successfully from ‘Otto Bock’, sitting in the waiting-room with his son, smiled at me when he saw me practicing the driving of B600 using the functions. I smiled at him too. We both were getting our freedom in different ways which was reflected in our smiles, this is what empathy means probably that we sensed. Miss lobo suggested that we can order the lunch till then in the nearby good hotel which was also served for the Otto Bock office. So we ordered lunch. My cousin came & greeted me “congrats!” & I showed him how B600 works.
Then, we had lunch after I got fresh in the refreshing room. I should mention this too- I felt easier to get fresh while seating in B600 than I felt in the manual pushing trolley-like wheelchairs.
After lunch, dad said that “we should get our luggage & check out from Hotel Days Inn [because hotel doesn’t have a platform like one specially made for me at my home/ramp upto the level of back-door of our SUV], so till then should we keep B600 here as it is so heavy [almost 80-100kgs!] & cannot easily get down from SUV as it doesn’t have a ramp, ok? Then we will buy your new cell [my old cell had been damaged since & take the B600 by shifting you in it”. I just simply wasn’t ready to keep B600 at Office because it would get closed till 4pm/5pm & if we were late by any way then we would have to wait for next day to get it. So, I told that “I’ll sit in car till we go back home, no problem but let’s take it with us please!” Miss Lobo teased “she fears that her dad will say that we’ll take it home next day/other!” & gave a tool-kit, documents, charger, a CD containing photos she had clicked & video-clips she had made after giving me B600 to send to the engineers & technicians at Otto Bock [Germany]. We had to take the help of 3-4 helpers at Service-Office, my cousin, my dad & our driver to get the B600 in our SUV. It’s heavy, that’s why.
Later, after dropping my cousin to his work-place & checking out from hotel, we were accompanied by my other cousin who was attending his lectures while I had been at service-office, came along to the store to buy a new cell. Then, we went to Hotel Navratn [Waashi], as my cousin was hungry too, to have snacks. I suddenly realized & said to mom, “though I don’t believe these horoscopes, coincidently, we have bought a cell with red colour & its model no. is W910i ![ having ‘figure ‘9’ in it]. We got the B600 which of course already proved that it is the solution we were seeking always”. Mom laughed saying “see, sometimes it becomes true, by mistake or by coincidence as you said!” Afterwards, cousin went to his flat & we returned to Khed. On the way talked to my all 3 sisters on phone about B600. At night, when we reached home, I went in using the specially made wooden planks & platform which has a permanent ramp too to enter the front-yard of home as well near the main door. That night I slept happily, relaxed that ‘Otto Bock’ had given me the solution much more than its cost, a hope that now I can focus on my career because of less dependency, a bright future! Same about mom-dad as they were happy too to see me happy!
Next day, I uploaded all the snaps on Orkut to show it to my sisters, cousins, friends & relatives. That night, I first went to meet the eldest member of my family, because he would be happy to see me using B600. Dad enthusiastically told him everything; he listened to it & liked B600. I showed every function of B600. When dad said, “Miss Lobo treated her very well & taught every function so nicely!” Our head of the family sarcastically remarked “Anyone will when they get they get good amount of money!” Dad just nodded to me that don’t say anything more on this as he sensed I had felt to say that “everything was done by my dad, you weren’t burdened, then why did you remark? Don’t you see we had to spend just for the sake of my freedom? You always were worried about my future, now I’ve got hopes, why do you feel to spoil every ones’ happiness as usual?” I just ignored anymore of his comments & showed it to the family of our family-doctor & one of uncle & aunty & my cousin living near his house.
Next night I went to show my B600 to other uncle & aunties. Parents of my one aunty had come to Khed & they too were joyous to see B600.
Since then, whenever I went & even when I usually go out using B600, people walking or driving cars or two-wheelers keep wondering, gazing, turning their heads around to see it running very swiftly on roads, inquiring how it works, where & how we got it & I don’t remember that any person wasn’t happy that it gave me my freedom! Some of them blissfully said to dad & mom that “finally she got her long sought freedom! Now she won’t feel dependent”. Initially, women walking on roads & chatting with each other would get awestruck & with their mouths open, kept gazing at my beautiful B600! I feel like “queen on her ‘sawaari’” whenever I go out using B600! I sent an email thanking the engineers & everybody at Otto Bock.
My dad taught me traffic rules by making me practice driving B600 on various roads directly while dad would walk besides me- rough roads, main roads, lanes, streets, etc. for many months. I have explored whole town since then, because since childhood I had been going everywhere by his car, so I would get confused about roads to various places in town. Now I’m so ready that I can come back home safely even if dad can’t come with me some time. He never allows yet going alone, he worries because sometimes I need help in crossing roads or protection from cattle/stray dogs.
Last year we tried to get a ramp made for our SUV & a detachable portable keyboard-stand for B600 from a person from Daadar [Mumbai] known as an expert in making such things but it turned out as a flop-show. The ramp he made started to give cracks to the back-door & keyboard-stand was so complicated to use that ultimately my dad & my friend repaired it fully to make it easy to use. The ramp had to be removed from the car. Money & time had gone almost as waste once again. But now the repaired Keyboard-stand is working wonders- you can read this blog, view my graphics & paintings and contact me online! Thanks to my dad & my friend! But, of course, ramp & improper keyboard stand didn’t go fully waste as at the workshop of the expert, I met one more person with disability but very successful now as an interior designer, learnt driving his car with lots of perseverance! His dad insisted to meet other friend of his too with disabilities but very successful in the career. Later, this new friend’s friend & some of their mutual friends who also face disabilities but inspite of it very successful in their careers, came to my home & now we all are friends! [that’s a different story].
This year, I have become almost independent due to B600 & I myself learnt to do everything that was done by my mom-dad or by our maid for me. Now I’ve started learning cooking too! I’ve focused on my career as an artist. I’m sure with B600, my future is bright! My B600! My freedom!
See you in next post! Keep smiling!
Once I had been to Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital [Pune] for some tests. That time, I was waiting in the queue with my dad & mom. There in the parking lot, mom saw a person with disability using a battery-operated wheelchair with ease. Mom just rushed to him & asked, “where did he buy it from?”. He answered that his daughter had sent it from Japan, as that company doesn’t export it to India. Before we could get any more information about it from him, I was called in for the test & we couldn’t ask him to wait for some time for us till we come back as my test was going to take lot of time. Also, couldn’t take his contact no. due to the whole big queue waiting for the test behind us. So, we couldn’t even contact him again.
Later, once, I had been sitting waiting in our SUV, near Chitale-bandhu sweets’ shop [Vishraambaag Waadaa area, Pune] while dad & mom had gone in nearby shops for some shopping. I had been watching the traffic passing by & reading a book in between. Suddenly I saw a person with disability but his wheelchair was looking so nice like a car’s front seat! He was going so swiftly making his way like skilled-driver of car through all the mad evening rushing traffic! [Everybody knows how bad-mannered traffic of Pune is!] I was stunned! Before I could tell our driver-uncle to request & stop that person to talk with me or mom-dad or even before driver-uncle could cross the road & stop him, he just crossed the roads [actually, it was a cross-road or ‘chowk’]. When dad & mom came back, I excitedly told them about the excellent wheelchair I saw. That time, we realized that if search properly, we can get a good battery-operated wheelchair & cleared the misbelief that there doesn’t seem a chance of getting good battery-operated wheelchair in India or that being made abroad but not imported in India. Next day, I returned home. Soon, Dad told me to search on internet about availability of battery-operated wheelchair. I opened ‘Google’, searched ‘pages from whole web’ & ‘pages from India’. I don’t remember right now all other names but only few them were having branches in India & so, exporting the wheelchairs to India but, the user had to go to the main office, which would be generally located abroad. That was again an obstacle that time for me as going abroad was bit problematic, according to the situations. I kept on searching & my search got a successful stop at the name- ‘Otto Bock [Germany]’ as they have their service-offices throughout all continents & at Mumbai & various parts of India! I was glad that this might be the answer I was finding but curious to know about availability & costs of wheelchairs they made. They had given many details on their website about their services- various types of wheelchairs, artificial limbs, service-fabrications, etc. They had put up details of contacting them. I noted down the address of their service-office- Otto Bock Service-Office, Near R.K. Studio, Opposite Saint Gregorious Chapel, Chembur [Mumbai].
Dad was soon going for the monthly purchase of raw materials for our spices factory. That time he decided to go to the Otto Bock’s service office. I was eagerly waiting for that day when he would gather necessary information. Dad went to the service-office where he met Miss Rochelle Lobo [The Occupational Therapist, Bionic Mobility]. ‘Bionic mobility’ means mobility gained by use of artificial limbs/machineries/wheelchairs. [She was at first got angry with my dad as he had reached office late due to some work at raw-materials market but later cooled down]. Dad discussed with her my problem & need of the good battery-operated wheelchair. She showed him a sample of the standard manual model of wheelchair. Then she told him to bring me once to their office, so that she could take the measurements, note-downs of necessary modifications, photos + video-clips of my current physical situation & to show & discuss about it via Internet with the engineers at the head-office of Otto Bock in Germany. This would have facilitated the process of getting the perfection in the wheelchair. So, we fixed a day to meet & I eagerly kept calculating the days.
But things always take some strange turns, even when they are actually possible easily. Suddenly, we had to postpone it since my mom was going to appear for MS CIT exam of computer, which was declared to take place on just the day we had fixed our meeting. I felt disappointed but mom had studied hard for it, whenever possible during daily chores at home, so felt to wait for few more days. After all, I had waited for so long years & now 2-3 days wouldn’t have mattered. But, of course, patience is the key! We tried to get next appointment with her but she was going outstation for few days & so gave an appointment at day after almost 15 days. Again, she was bit angry that we cancelled suddenly but asked dad to turn up on time! We were going to Mumbai just day before our meeting with Miss Rochelle Lobo, but came to know that our driver who generally comes along was unable to come that day because his niece was getting married same day. We decided to call up our other driver who comes whenever there is need of extra driver than those usually. On the day we were leaving he was putting up the bags on the carrier so that my folding manual trolley-like wheelchair & suddenly his spine got sprained & he felt too much pains. Dad took him to a doctor who advised the driver to rest & not drive for few days. So, we postponed going that day too. & took another appointment. Again we had to tell Miss Lobo that we had to cancel coming this time too.
Finally, when our driver came back on duty, we left for Mumbai just before the day we were going to meet, so that we could reach on time. We stayed at ‘Hotel Days Inn’ [now it’s known as ‘Celebrations’] at Washi [Mumbai]. In the morning, I woke up very early & got ready. But we got bit late due to reach due to the traffic jam! We had taken ‘Aseem’ with us along with my folding trolley-like manual wheelchair which we take along during long journeys. After arriving at Otto Bock service office, I shifted Into ‘Aseem’ which was working little bit due to latest repairing & because we wanted to give the measurements similar to it, especially sitting positions. I climbed up the ramp up to the entrance, with my dad pushing ‘Aseem’ from behind as it was getting hard to climb the ramp. There we met Miss Rochelle Lobo & other technician Mr. Krishnakant. We discussed for long time- about my needs & daily routine where the wheelchair would prove a big help to me, e.g. using it for going anywhere indoors 7 outdoors, shifting to bed using increasing + decreasing level of height of the sitting position, get back-position reclining & fully flat also, the cushioning of seat with flat surface [that would facilitate shifting to & fro bed]. She made some video-clips & clicked some photographs of me in various positions like how much I could sit [in those days], how I drove the ‘Aseem’, etc. which she was going to send via Internet to the engineers as that prove helpful to them in modifying the original model of B600.[This is part of their procedure, so that user doesn’t need to go to Germany]. She suggested that she will discuss these matters with the technicians & engineers at Germany about the necessary modifications & concluded that “we modify our ready but different types of wheelchairs which can be used for different purposes. We will soon inform you soon about in week what the engineers say about your problem. We suggest our wheelchair-model B600 for you, as right now it seems suitable for you. Engineers will modify it according to your needs & make it ready to use. It’s very costly, but we assure you of high-quality performance, maintenance-servicing after every 6 months or as necessary, proper documentations, 1year to 5 years warranty. Once you decide to place the order if the engineers find no problems in modifications, you need to pay half the amount of estimated price or invoice as an advance. We will deliver it as soon as possible within 3 weeks if it didn’t need modifications [custom fabrication] & as it is going to be modified 2 to 2 & 1/2 months”. She showed a video-clip of the various models of wheelchairs manufactured at ‘Otto Bock’- one wheelchair was standard manual wheelchair, other was B600 itself [unmodified], other was a marvel as it had straps to put up & with use of few buttons, its seating position converted into standing position, so that user will get a feel of walking though it would run on its wheels by a joystick-like device at hands! There were other types of wheelchair-models too. See what technology & science can do- make an ‘impossible” as a “possible”!
We came back home, eagerly waiting for the positive call from Miss Lobo. We soon were called by Miss Lobo that engineers said after the discussion that ‘they will be surely & successfully make the modifications!’ She called dad to come to Mumbai to place an order by paying the advance, if we had made up the decision. In the week in between we got her call, we had been apprehensive & worried too that how to manage the huge payment & whether we will get the perfect solution in return of such huge payment. It was a feeling like aiming with an arrow in dark. I had asked dad to think more deeply before paying as we had learnt one big lesson recently. Still, dad “let’s take a risk, also every time you don’t get a fiasco, let’s hope for the best, this time we are placing the order with a good company, don’t keep worrying, I don’t think there will be any problem, I want you to get the best, after all whom do I have to spend for?”. Soon dad made the payment by managing the finances very well. I kept the follow-up going on how he managed the finances, as I didn’t want any other family-member to get burdened, though they might have become ready to take the part in payment. I’m happy now that dad didn’t take any financial help from others. He himself went twice to Mumbai, just to clarify some doubts from Miss Lobo. Engineers Okayed that too. Now, we had placed an order of B600 with modifications in January 2008, after we came back from Goa where we all family-members had been for vacation on year-end.
I had been eager & curious, kept calculating the days! This time I didn’t tell my friends at first about it as once I had learnt a lesson- “don’t keep telling till you are not sure of the results of whatever you do!” Days were going on, various things happening continuously in life- house was being coloured up & its maintenance going on, cousin’s marriage in February, elder sister visiting home after 1& ½ years as she had been abroad, a dearest friend who had been very far had come so near, etc. ! Mind was flying towards B600 & Germany. Finally, we called up Miss Rochelle Lobo in between just to check out what was happening on the other end. Soon we came to know that “B600 is ready & so, sent to airport at Frankfurt but customs at Frankfurt had been on Easter-holidays. Once they clear it, it’ll soon reach Mumbai airport where Miss Lobo would be collecting it, then she would check it once again all over, get its battery fully charged making it ready to use & take home! Then she was going to call me to learn using B600 once for some time & my B600 would be with me forever!” Finally B600 arrived at Mumbai & Miss Lobo called up- “everything is OK with B600 ! Please come over soon to take it home”. My joy & curiosity knew no bounds!
We left for Mumbai next day in noon, but before going I had to tell a friend who planned our get-together of us all 9 friends as usual that I won’t be there, so please if possible postpone or carry on, no problem. She was curious- “why? Where are you going? Any problem? When will you be back? We won’t do a get-together without you, we never do it. You know well that we just simply can’t imagine getting together without you”. So, I told her that I her everything & told that “please don’t tell this surprise to others, I’ll tell it all myself”. I reached Mumbai at night & stayed at ‘Hotel Days Inn (Celebrations)’.
Next morning of (21st April 2008, Monday) I got up very early & got ready before 9:30am, ready to go to ‘Otto Bock’ service-office though we had been told to reach upto 10:30am approximately. That morning mom heard about my horoscope in a TV-show that [before I woke up]- “today you’ll get something that will give you immense satisfaction & a feeling that all your efforts were properly vested since many years. Today red colour & figure ‘9’ is good for you”. I just laughed it off that time. We left but on the way, we stopped for breakfast but my mind was not present there, it had already reached ‘Otto Bock service office’ already! We reached service-office. Just the moment I entered seating in my folding trolley-like wheelchair with Dad pushing it up the entrance-ramp of service-office. [It’s almost like a stretcher being pushed by somebody]. At the same moment, Miss Lobo came out from the lift with beautiful black & green B600 with her! Dad said “This must be your modified B600, I’m sure!” I asked “Sure?” Miss Lobo smiled & said “Hi! Please come in”. We just went into a big room where Miss Lobo had taken that wheelchair. She said, “Here it is! Your B600 [B six hundred]! Not only a wheelchair but your little car you may say!” I just kept smiling & gazing at it! It was such a nice sturdy wheelchair! She requested my dad to shift me into it & so I very eagerly & easily shifted in it from my manual trolley-like wheelchair as B600 has a facility to increase/decrease the height of seating position. We matched the seating positions of both & I shifted in B600. A good supportive Velcro belt was easy to fix & fasten .The joystick-panel which was specially put up in a comfortable position for me & easy to fix in other positions if necessary. Same about the arm-rests. Seat was modified as per my need- 2 parts with protective footrest in front & the cushioning was flat i.e. without bumpy surface like those of cars as was in original B600. B600 has all types of lights too- headlights, parking light, indicators! Miss Lobo taught me all the functions on the joystick-panel & how B600 works. One of the best functions of B600 is increasing/decreasing the height of seating position. In words of Miss Lobo, “increasing will be giving you a feeling of flying!” [In my words of that time, ‘I will be on the top of Mount Everest then!’] Then she said, “hey come with me, we will go for a nice walk”.B600 has both modes- manual & battery-operated, which can be activated very easily. Once charged for 2-3 hours, B600 works well for next 10-15 days or more! Even dad & mom were curiously watching B600 & its functions.
Miss Lobo taught me to go through doors. Then she told me to follow her up & down on a big ramp surrounding the 3-storey office-building. I was bit worried but kept on driving the B600. Then she told that “now we will go outdoors, on the road in between the building & the Saint Gregorius chapel. But before that show me how you will touch the leaves of the tall plant in the pot in the verandah on the way & bring a leaf of the tree across the lane to the chapel. Let me see how efficiently you drive B600. I won’t prompt you the functions now to accomplish the task”. I took up the challenge, went towards the potted plant & increased the height of seating position & touched its leaf. Then climbed down the ramp near the main door very easily .That time, I remembered how hard it was for ‘Aseem’ to climb up & down the same ramp when I had came last time & dad had to help by pushing it though it was also battery-operated. Miss Lobo suddenly said “hey stop a second!” while I was climbing down the ramp. I halted & then realized that B600 can stop firmly & easily by letting the grip off on the joystick, even on the steep slopes or high-climbs! Not a single push by mistake or with intention can budge it from its place on straight leveled way or on slopes, making it very safe for me. Miss Lobo smiled & remarked “this is what I wanted to show it to you!” Miss Lobo, Mom, Dad & our driver-uncle were coming along too. Mom, without making me aware, made a small video-clip & clicked a photo as well when she saw me driving B600 properly, to save the moment. I proceeded to drive on the road outside the gates. Suddenly a Maruti car came from behind & went by my side. I was bit confused but the drove B600 properly & gave way to the car to go out of the gates first, so that I would cross the road & go towards the tree. I took a leaf of the tree in hands. I had completed my task & proved my efficiency at the moment that I can drive B600 very well & improve myself by practice. While I was driving B600 in the lane in front o Chapel, I noticed many primary-school kids wearing cute yellow uniform were running & playing on the huge ground beyond a wire-fence happily, laughing, talking to each other. One moment I felt I’m also a free bird like them! Some of them curiously stopped & watched my B600 by coming near the fence.
Next moment, I remembered it had been 12pm by then & in Satara, one of my close friend who was actually from Nanded was going to get married at the same time same day. Her life was going to change by marriage & mine by B600. I wished in mind that let’s hope she gets good life ahead at least now as she had faced so many problems till then. I had talked to her before I travelled to Mumbai while she was on the way to Satara. I went in the office again, easily climbing up the entrance-ramp. Miss Lobo suggested me to come along with her to upper floor to meet the senior officers & her colleagues, to show that B600’s modifications have been absolutely perfect & suitable for me. She said, “come with me, we will go by lift; uncle, will you & aunty please come up till then by the stairs? Or shall I send the lift down for you?” Dad & mom opted to come by stairs as they wanted to see me using the lift by myself, after I entered the lift under guidance of Miss Lobo. She taught me how to enter the lift using a wheelchair myself & also how to come out of it. Till we reached the upper floor dad & mom had already reached when I saw the door of the lift open & before I got out f the lift. We went into a big hall with glass-doors & lot of cubicles, so I had to be careful that B600 doesn’t harm them at all by mistake. All of them had been glad to meet me & see me happy as they felt that their hard-work had been successful. They told that Otto bock had never modified/fabricated any of their B600 & so, they were doubtful initially that they’ll be successful in giving me perfection in B600, but they passed this ‘test’ with distinction! Miss Lobo introduced me to her colleagues- one was head of the finance-department of the Mumbai service-office, one who managed all the documentations, etc. There I was asked to wait till Dad was completing the remaining payment.
A cousin brother who was working in a nearby area & he wanted to see B600, so he asked me on phone the address of the service-office. So, we were then waiting for him in the waiting room till he came!
Till then, I was observing the surroundings. One person who got his artificial foot done successfully from ‘Otto Bock’, sitting in the waiting-room with his son, smiled at me when he saw me practicing the driving of B600 using the functions. I smiled at him too. We both were getting our freedom in different ways which was reflected in our smiles, this is what empathy means probably that we sensed. Miss lobo suggested that we can order the lunch till then in the nearby good hotel which was also served for the Otto Bock office. So we ordered lunch. My cousin came & greeted me “congrats!” & I showed him how B600 works.
Then, we had lunch after I got fresh in the refreshing room. I should mention this too- I felt easier to get fresh while seating in B600 than I felt in the manual pushing trolley-like wheelchairs.
After lunch, dad said that “we should get our luggage & check out from Hotel Days Inn [because hotel doesn’t have a platform like one specially made for me at my home/ramp upto the level of back-door of our SUV], so till then should we keep B600 here as it is so heavy [almost 80-100kgs!] & cannot easily get down from SUV as it doesn’t have a ramp, ok? Then we will buy your new cell [my old cell had been damaged since & take the B600 by shifting you in it”. I just simply wasn’t ready to keep B600 at Office because it would get closed till 4pm/5pm & if we were late by any way then we would have to wait for next day to get it. So, I told that “I’ll sit in car till we go back home, no problem but let’s take it with us please!” Miss Lobo teased “she fears that her dad will say that we’ll take it home next day/other!” & gave a tool-kit, documents, charger, a CD containing photos she had clicked & video-clips she had made after giving me B600 to send to the engineers & technicians at Otto Bock [Germany]. We had to take the help of 3-4 helpers at Service-Office, my cousin, my dad & our driver to get the B600 in our SUV. It’s heavy, that’s why.
Later, after dropping my cousin to his work-place & checking out from hotel, we were accompanied by my other cousin who was attending his lectures while I had been at service-office, came along to the store to buy a new cell. Then, we went to Hotel Navratn [Waashi], as my cousin was hungry too, to have snacks. I suddenly realized & said to mom, “though I don’t believe these horoscopes, coincidently, we have bought a cell with red colour & its model no. is W910i ![ having ‘figure ‘9’ in it]. We got the B600 which of course already proved that it is the solution we were seeking always”. Mom laughed saying “see, sometimes it becomes true, by mistake or by coincidence as you said!” Afterwards, cousin went to his flat & we returned to Khed. On the way talked to my all 3 sisters on phone about B600. At night, when we reached home, I went in using the specially made wooden planks & platform which has a permanent ramp too to enter the front-yard of home as well near the main door. That night I slept happily, relaxed that ‘Otto Bock’ had given me the solution much more than its cost, a hope that now I can focus on my career because of less dependency, a bright future! Same about mom-dad as they were happy too to see me happy!
Next day, I uploaded all the snaps on Orkut to show it to my sisters, cousins, friends & relatives. That night, I first went to meet the eldest member of my family, because he would be happy to see me using B600. Dad enthusiastically told him everything; he listened to it & liked B600. I showed every function of B600. When dad said, “Miss Lobo treated her very well & taught every function so nicely!” Our head of the family sarcastically remarked “Anyone will when they get they get good amount of money!” Dad just nodded to me that don’t say anything more on this as he sensed I had felt to say that “everything was done by my dad, you weren’t burdened, then why did you remark? Don’t you see we had to spend just for the sake of my freedom? You always were worried about my future, now I’ve got hopes, why do you feel to spoil every ones’ happiness as usual?” I just ignored anymore of his comments & showed it to the family of our family-doctor & one of uncle & aunty & my cousin living near his house.
Next night I went to show my B600 to other uncle & aunties. Parents of my one aunty had come to Khed & they too were joyous to see B600.
Since then, whenever I went & even when I usually go out using B600, people walking or driving cars or two-wheelers keep wondering, gazing, turning their heads around to see it running very swiftly on roads, inquiring how it works, where & how we got it & I don’t remember that any person wasn’t happy that it gave me my freedom! Some of them blissfully said to dad & mom that “finally she got her long sought freedom! Now she won’t feel dependent”. Initially, women walking on roads & chatting with each other would get awestruck & with their mouths open, kept gazing at my beautiful B600! I feel like “queen on her ‘sawaari’” whenever I go out using B600! I sent an email thanking the engineers & everybody at Otto Bock.
My dad taught me traffic rules by making me practice driving B600 on various roads directly while dad would walk besides me- rough roads, main roads, lanes, streets, etc. for many months. I have explored whole town since then, because since childhood I had been going everywhere by his car, so I would get confused about roads to various places in town. Now I’m so ready that I can come back home safely even if dad can’t come with me some time. He never allows yet going alone, he worries because sometimes I need help in crossing roads or protection from cattle/stray dogs.
Last year we tried to get a ramp made for our SUV & a detachable portable keyboard-stand for B600 from a person from Daadar [Mumbai] known as an expert in making such things but it turned out as a flop-show. The ramp he made started to give cracks to the back-door & keyboard-stand was so complicated to use that ultimately my dad & my friend repaired it fully to make it easy to use. The ramp had to be removed from the car. Money & time had gone almost as waste once again. But now the repaired Keyboard-stand is working wonders- you can read this blog, view my graphics & paintings and contact me online! Thanks to my dad & my friend! But, of course, ramp & improper keyboard stand didn’t go fully waste as at the workshop of the expert, I met one more person with disability but very successful now as an interior designer, learnt driving his car with lots of perseverance! His dad insisted to meet other friend of his too with disabilities but very successful in the career. Later, this new friend’s friend & some of their mutual friends who also face disabilities but inspite of it very successful in their careers, came to my home & now we all are friends! [that’s a different story].
This year, I have become almost independent due to B600 & I myself learnt to do everything that was done by my mom-dad or by our maid for me. Now I’ve started learning cooking too! I’ve focused on my career as an artist. I’m sure with B600, my future is bright! My B600! My freedom!
See you in next post! Keep smiling!
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2nd superb yr with B600 ! |
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3rd successful yr with B600 !! |
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4th yr with B600 !! |
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My B600 turns 5 years successfully ! |
